Russia to make proposals on special economic zone in Crimea, Sevastopol before April 15

MOSCOW, March 27. /ITAR-TASS/. Russian government will work out proposals for creating a special economic zone in the Russian Republic of Crimea and the Russian Crimean city of Sevastopol before April 15, 2014.

This instruction was given upon results of a government meeting that Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev held on March 24, the country’s Cabinet said at its official website on Thursday.

The country’s government gave these instructions to the minister of economic development, finance minister and the minister of regional development, as well as federal authorities and agencies in Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, two new Russian constituent entities, before April 15.

Meanwhile, Medvedev gave an instruction “to take measures to ensure free movement of goods” for Crimea “across Russian-Ukrainian state border as well as product exports from the Russian Republic of Crimea and the federal city of Sevastopol.” The Federal Customs Service, the Federal Security Service, the Ministry of Economic Development, the Transport Ministry and the Foreign Ministry were put in charge of fulfilling this task.

One more decision concerns drafting proposals “for restructuring the debt in tax payment by organizations operating in the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol.”

Speaking at a meeting devoted to the need to create a special economic zone in Crimea Medvedev noted that “it is also needed to think about long-term prospects in Crimean development to settle current problems.” “We need to grant additional preferences to new Russian regions,” the prime minister stated.